Farooque Ahmed
Encyclopedia
Farooque Ahmed is a Pakistani American
from Ashburn, Virginia
who was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
for allegedly plotting to bomb Washington Metro
stations at Arlington cemetery, Pentagon City, Crystal City and Court House . He was charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization, collecting information to assist in planning a terrorist attack on a transit facility, and attempting to provide material support to help carry out multiple bombings. On April 11, 2011 he was sentenced to 23 years in prison after pleading guilty.
and is a naturalized US citizen. He was born in Lahore
and became a US citizen in 2002. He has lived in the US since 1993. He holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Science
from the College of Staten Island
and worked as a network design contractor for Ericsson
. He was enrolled in an online degree in risk management from Aspen University
. He is married and has a son. He has a history of several speeding violations and credit problems. At his initial court appearance he claimed that he could not afford a lawyer.
According to the White House
press secretary, Barack Obama
was made aware of Ahmed's activities prior to his arrest. Ahmed was arrested early on 27 October 2010. He was accused of scouting the Metrorail station in Arlington County, Virginia
and recording video of the station on 4 different occasions. In July he handed over the footage to an individual who he believed to be an operative of Al-Qaeda
. According to the indictment he told undercover agents that an attack would cause most casualties between 4 pm and 5 pm and suggested placing the bombs in rolling suitcases. The plan of attack began as early as April 18, 2010, according to officials. He told undercover agents that he would be ready to conduct jihad
against America in January 2011 after completing Hajj
in November 2010. At the time of his arrest it did not appear that Ahmed had received any militant training overseas from Al-Qaeda or its associates. He told operatives that he was willing to martyr himself and had taught himself martial arts, use of firearms and knife and gun tactics, skills he offered to teach others.
the prosecutors dropped one of the charges and Ahmed who had faced up to 50 years in prison agreed to a 23 year sentence.
Pakistani American
A Pakistani American is any citizen or resident of the United States who has Pakistani heritage.- History in the United States :Muslim immigrants from areas that are now part of Pakistan have been migrating to America and first entered the United States as early as the eighteenth century, working...
from Ashburn, Virginia
Ashburn, Virginia
Ashburn, Virginia is a census-designated place located in Loudoun County, Virginia, northwest of Washington, D.C., and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area...
who was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
for allegedly plotting to bomb Washington Metro
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
stations at Arlington cemetery, Pentagon City, Crystal City and Court House . He was charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization, collecting information to assist in planning a terrorist attack on a transit facility, and attempting to provide material support to help carry out multiple bombings. On April 11, 2011 he was sentenced to 23 years in prison after pleading guilty.
Background
Ahmed, 34, was born in PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and is a naturalized US citizen. He was born in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
and became a US citizen in 2002. He has lived in the US since 1993. He holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
from the College of Staten Island
College of Staten Island
The College of Staten Island is a four-year, senior college of and is one of the 11 senior colleges in the City University of New York. Programs in the liberal arts and sciences and professional studies lead to bachelor's and associate's degrees. The master's degree is awarded in 13 professional...
and worked as a network design contractor for Ericsson
Ericsson
Ericsson , one of Sweden's largest companies, is a provider of telecommunication and data communication systems, and related services, covering a range of technologies, including especially mobile networks...
. He was enrolled in an online degree in risk management from Aspen University
Aspen University
Aspen University is a nationally-accredited, distance learning university located in the United States that was established in 1987. Aspen offers degrees in technology management, information systems, business, project management, addictions counseling, nursing, and criminal justice...
. He is married and has a son. He has a history of several speeding violations and credit problems. At his initial court appearance he claimed that he could not afford a lawyer.
Arrest
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
press secretary, Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
was made aware of Ahmed's activities prior to his arrest. Ahmed was arrested early on 27 October 2010. He was accused of scouting the Metrorail station in Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
and recording video of the station on 4 different occasions. In July he handed over the footage to an individual who he believed to be an operative of Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
. According to the indictment he told undercover agents that an attack would cause most casualties between 4 pm and 5 pm and suggested placing the bombs in rolling suitcases. The plan of attack began as early as April 18, 2010, according to officials. He told undercover agents that he would be ready to conduct jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
against America in January 2011 after completing Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
in November 2010. At the time of his arrest it did not appear that Ahmed had received any militant training overseas from Al-Qaeda or its associates. He told operatives that he was willing to martyr himself and had taught himself martial arts, use of firearms and knife and gun tactics, skills he offered to teach others.
Sentence
On April 11, 2011 Ahmed was sentenced to 23 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and collecting information to assist in planning a terrorist attack on a transit facility. As a part of a plea bargainPlea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
the prosecutors dropped one of the charges and Ahmed who had faced up to 50 years in prison agreed to a 23 year sentence.